Grant Awards - 2015

Education/Entrepreneurship

California State University, Fresno, CA

$35,000 for renewal of the Coleman Professorship in Entrepreneurial Studies at California State University, Fresno. Dr. Timothy M. Stearns currently holds the chair position and is Executive Director of the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Chicago Artists' Coalition (CAC), Chicago, IL

$50,000 to support CAC’s self-employment education program by activating partnerships with other organizations, businesses and academic programs; and by creating self-employment educational programming that serves more artists across the Chicago metro area. The program seeks to further collaborative programming between CAC and the Self-Employment Arts (SEA) program, a collegiate focused arts entrepreneurship program.

DePaul University, Chicago, IL

$200,000 for capital support towards renovation and expansion of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul. The Center is the centralized campus location for entrepreneurship experimentation, learning, programming, and providing the space needed for students to launch their business ventures from the university campus.

Future Founders Foundation, Chicago, IL

$155,000 to support Future Founders High School (FFHS) and College Founders (CF) programs. FFHS program provides additional experiential programming and coaching to Chicago Public School students in Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) classes. The CF program provides mentoring and connects college students to the best entrepreneurial resources, events, and activities in Chicagoland. It fosters collaboration among universities, incubators, community organizations and businesses to engage emerging entrepreneurs with the local entrepreneur community and provide increased services for young entrepreneurs. The program promotes intra-campus collaboration and increases the capacity of university programs by broadening their reach into the community.

Developmental Disabilities

Aspiritech NFP, Highwood, IL

$280,000 to develop a robust and scalable infrastructure that will support Aspiritech's continued growth and future geographic expansion in order to provide meaningful employment to more adults on the autism spectrum in software testing and related quality assurance and technology support services.

Blue Cap, Blue Island, IL

$70,000 to support efforts to increase residential capacity for individuals with developmental disabilities. Grants funds will support a Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) home, which will provide housing for four to five females with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and renovations an existing CILA home to provide housing for two males.

Clearbrook, Arlington Heights, IL

$667,650 for replication of the Discovering CHOICE program at Clearbook, UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago, and Park Lawn Association. Previously piloted with support from a prior CFI grant, the Discovering CHOICE program assists organizations in: downsizing from large congregate day settings; achieving person vs. program-based programming; and offering flexible services targeting wellness, socialization, volunteerism, and integrated community employment.

Little City Foundation, Palatine, IL

$500,000 matching grant to support the Children's Residential Group Home Capital Campaign to construct a group home, which would house children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group home will be specifically designed to create a safe, calming and comforting environment for children on the autism spectrum.

NorthPointe Resources, Inc., Zion, IL

$95,000 to support renovations of the Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) homes, which will improve the functionality and comfort of five existing CILA homes, and provide furnishings for one new CILA.

UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago, IL

$160,000 for the development and marketing of four online training modules, consisting of on-demand videos, webinars and other materials, for mandated training of Direct Support Persons (DSPs) at organizations which serve people with developmental disabilities.

Health & Rehabilitation

College of American Pathologists Foundation, Northfield, IL

$40,000 to support organization's See, Test & Treat breast and cervical cancer screening program, which provides one day of free testing, same-day test results and follow-up care to underserved women. The program would be held at Loyola University Medical Center in August, 2015 and serve 50 to 75 women while providing education to a larger population.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Illinois Chapter, Chicago, IL

$200,000 to support the Be Your Own Advocate (BYOA) Program Expansion, The BYOA program expansion targets blood cancer patients in underserved communities and ethnic communities such as Hispanics, African-American, Polish, and various geographical communities throughout Illinois, empowering cancer patients with education, resources, and support.

University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL

$728,000 to support construction of Supportive Oncology Care Suite, which will allow supportive oncology services to be housed and provided in one central location for the first time at University of Chicago Medicine. The newly designed space will be located in the outpatient care facility of the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine adjacent to the chemotherapy infusion treatment area. The Supportive Oncology Care Suite will allow supportive care services to be delivered in an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to all cancer patients.